M. Giant'sVelcrometerThrowing stuff at the internet to see what sticks

Friday, June 13, 2008

Father's Week

I know Father's Day isn't until Sunday, but it's been like Father's Week around here.

M. Small has known what he wants to get me for months. He and I were at the mall one evening about two weeks after Christmas, and in a cheesy little toy store there he found this inflatable robot that just fascinated him. Should I have gotten it for him? I might have, except that it was, as I just said, only a week after Christmas and he was already scalp-deep in new stuff. And I didn't know he'd still want one at our house a full five months later, to the point where he was willing to get me one for Father's Day just to make it happen. And I certainly didn't know what I found out a few weeks ago, which is that the toy store is now closed. Gone. Packed up every last inflatable robot part and went out of business.

Trash took M. Small shopping for Father's Day gifts last Friday, and they've been kind of popping up all over the house lately. Well, I say "popping up" as though they're doing it of their own accord, when in fact it was M. Small who pulled that three-foot watering hose attachment out from its hiding place under the futon later that same day. He also mentioned the new spray nozzle he'd gotten me, which came in handy during yard work on Sunday. Trash and I got tired of re-hiding the three-foot attachment and I officially received the gift on Wednesday evening. Today he and Trash went shopping again, at the local hobby shop where he got his inflatable Space Shuttles and Saturn V rocket (none of which are actually spaceworthy).

Trash's car has this Star Trek communicator pin thing built into its rearview mirror, so she can call me on speakerphone from the car. They were on the way back from the hobby store when she called. Not five seconds into the conversation, M. Small, hearing my voice, heard, "I got you a—"

Trash actually interrupted him, allowing the surprise to remain in place until they got home five minutes later and M. Small presented me with a set of water-powered rockets that he couldn't wait to help me play with.

Oh, and then later today, Trash presented me with my big gift she got last week, a charcoal grill that we can take camping because it folds to the size of a briefcase. Modesty prevents me from outlining the great leap forward my grilling skills have inexplicably taken this summer, but I can't promise that it'll prevent me from carrying my new folding grill everywhere I go and throwing a cookout at a moment's notice. And now that I'm working at home and thus hardly ever go anywhere, you should know that this is not an idle threat. Happy Father's Day to me! If there's anything more quintessentially Dad than a barbecue grill that fits in the bottom of a stroller, I can't think what it might be.

4 Comments:

Last year, our park district had a little program where you could bring your young 'un to make their dads these cute little ceramic cups for Father's Day. The kids molded and glazed them themselves and everything--my 3-year-old's was this adorably mishapen bowl-type thing. And despite the involvement of the park district, this project took a good deal of work on my part.

I reminded her many times that it was a secret, Daddy had to wait to see it, etc. etc. She totally kept it under her hat until the day before, when he was tucking her in bed, and she said, "I can't tell you about the cup I made you until tomorrow." Sigh.

We got a tent, cook stove and lots of other cool camping stuff (besides the cool camping stuff you guys got us) as wedding presents. Camping with you all must ensue! I think Feb's 2nd rotation is done mid-August. Let us know if you guys are available!

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